It Started With a Cup of Coffee
by pvarano18
Summary: Korra needed a start to her day and she just happened to stumble into the right coffee shop.
1. Chapter 1

**AN:** So this is my submission for the Makorra Summer Project over on Tumblr. It is really long so I split it into three chapters on this site. Make sure to read all of the amazing works on there too ( /#!D4EV0RBL!ynlUzdAX-mNhoGxQ7zu9wVZCgJtHrffVfdJGNkHHDVI).

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The aroma of the morning's freshly ground coffee teased his senses as he let the grounds slid into the coffee maker to begin the first batch of the day. He took a deep breath one more time as he allowed the smell to fill his senses. The spring sun shone through the windows, casting a warm glow on the small coffee shop. Mako loved mornings best because it allowed him to be alone with his thoughts before the morning rush hit and the stress of a new day set in. He'd often take this time to talk to the small picture of his parents that hung behind the counter, gazing out at the patrons of the shop.

Three years to the day was the last time he saw them and even then it was through the plate glass window that separated the ER surgery tables and the distraught brothers. He made a promise that day to never leave again, so he took over the family owned business that had served the Upper West side of Republic City for nearly two decades. He pulled his eyes away from the smiling pair, wiping away the moist corners of his eyes so that he could finish getting the store ready. He grabbed the empty metal trays from the display cabinet and went to the back to get the assortment of danishes and breakfast sweets that they were know so well for. Before he could finish he heard the soft jingle of the front door as it swung open.

"I'm sorry but we're not open yet" he said wiping his hands with a rag and backed through the door to shoo away the early customer. He had forgotten to lock the door again, a habitual issue that had been plaguing him for months. If he wasn't careful the place would get robbed blind.

"Then why is your door unlocked?" a woman asked sharply, her blue eyes narrowing their gaze at the young man who was in a hurry to kick her out.

"It shouldn't be" Mako replied as he quickly walked around the wooden counter and locked the door so no one else would enter. "I guess since you're already in here I should get you something."

"What would you like?" he asked finally making his way back behind the counter and returned her gaze that he was sure hadn't left him since she had entered his shop.

"What do you have?" she asked. He pointed to the chalkboard that was fastened to the wall directly behind him.

"Coffee" he said rather bluntly as he tossed the damp rag over his shoulder. This wasn't taken well because now her brow furrowed into a glare at him, as if it wasn't obvious enough what the shop sold.

"You don't have much of a selection" she said after she read over the menu while raping her fingers on the worn counter.

"If you want variety and all that sugary shit, you can head over to Sato Coffee." he replied pointing at the door "but if you want real coffee, then this is your place"

She took a few more minutes to decide causing Mako to regret that he didn't just ask her to leave in the beginning. He still had to wipe down the tables, water the plants, get the rest of the food out, take out the trash, and sweep the sidewalk. All this had to be done in an hour and this woman couldn't de-

"I'll have a medium dark roast" she finally said, cutting into his hurried thoughts of the rest of the morning. He gave her a nod and went to make the coffee for her.

Whoever this guy was, was sure arrogant because Sato Coffee was world renowned. She was sure the place didn't hold a candle to them. He handed her the freshly brewed drink and she snatched it from him. She took a drink and to her surprise the coffee was delicious. She took another sip just to be sure. Shit, he was right.

"By your silence I'm gonna assume I'm right" he said with a smirk as he turned to reach for a freshly made danish. She rolled her eyes in response and continued to enjoy the coffee. She also took this time to let her eyes wander around the small place. It was quite cozy with a few couches that had pillows scattered against them. The walls were littered with local event posters, a few pieces of local artwork, and the remaining space had tables with chairs.

"Hey" he said grabbing her attention "take this too"

She took the pastry from him, setting it down to grab her money to pay.

"It's on the house" he said holding up a hand as he watched her fish for her wallet. He figured for all the trouble she had gone through it was the least he could do. Maybe it would have her come back a second time so he could see her again.

"Well thanks" she said nodding and turned to leave. She got to the door and tried to push it open realizing that he had locked it. She let out an annoyed sigh and turned back around to have the shop owner come and open the door for her. When she did so she noticed that he was still staring at her. His gaze finally meet hers and he immediately turned a shade of scarlet once he knew he was caught staring.

"A little help?" she asked, motioning towards the door. He walked quickly to her, cheeks still flushed with embarrassment, fiddled with the lock and held it open for her. The two didn't say another word as she left except for a muttered 'I'm sorry' from him.

Once she had left he quickly closed the door, making sure it was locked, and finished getting ready for the day, all the while still thinking of those beautiful blue eyes.

 **/~~~~~~\**

It was July and Mako was enjoying the warm evening air as he thought back to that morning he had first seen her and kicked himself as he did so. Since he refused money from her he never was able to ask for her name. Months went past and he hadn't seen the blue-eyed woman again. Her eyes had captivated him to say the least and he wanted to know who she was.

"What's up Big Bro?" a voice asked disturbing his evening shut eye "you closed up early tonight"

"Business was slow so I figured I'd give myself a break" Mako replied, his eyes still closed, hoping that his brother would take a hint and leave him to his thoughts.

"Well I guess this is good timing! Wu is having a get together tonight and I was gonna see if you wanted to go?" Bolin asked, a bit excited knowing that his brother didn't have an excuse this time. He slumped down on the wicker chair opposite of Mako as he awaited his reply.

"Not tonight Bo" Mako replied, waving him off.

"Why? It's not like you got anything else to do. Besides I heard there are going to be some ladies at the party. When's the last time you out on a date? An actual date" Bolin asked, he wouldn't take 'No' for an answer, he needed a wingman tonight.

"Bo" Mako whined, he knew his brother wouldn't let up. Bolin was always trying to set him up with women who either were too bright and not that attractive or too attractive and not that bright. Mako was extremely picky when it came to women. He wanted someone who would challenge him and not just say 'Yes' to everything. Tonight wouldn't be any different.

"I'll take that as a 'Yes'" Bolin replied energetically, getting up and rustling Mako's hair before her ran out of the roof top exit. Mako chucked his bottle of water at the fleeing Boling but it slammed into the already closed door. He grumbled his disappointment of having his night ruined and ran a hand through his hair putting it back into its original, sloppy position. He trudged down to his tiny apartment and got ready for his brother to return within the hour.

Mako kicked a rock off the wall of the storefront as he waited for his never punctual brother. He glanced at his watch every now and again, promising himself that if Bolin didn't arrive in the next five minutes he'd call it a night, that was 30 minutes ago. Finally, Bolin pulled up in a rust sedan, honking at his brother and giving him a wave.

"What the hell took you so long? And where did you get this hunk of junk?" Mako asked as the door screeched open and took a moment to decide whether or not this was the safest option. He buckled in and immediately put a hand on the handlebar above in order to steady himself.

"Maryanne is not a hunk of junk." Bolin scowled as he threw the car into gear. The car had good pick up to it for being a bucket of rust but that still didn't calm Mako. Bolin weaved through the late evening traffic as they got deeper into the center of the city.

This was a place Mako didn't come very often because he liked the safety and quiet of the neighborhood where he resided. But each time he did come he also left with the inner conflict of whether or not to return to the crowded downtown area. Soon they arrived at Wu's party which seemed to be where all the other motorists on the road were headed. Bolin put the car in park after they circled the block a few times looking for a spot and went up to meet Wu. Wu was as boisterous as ever and greeted the brothers with a big hug.

"Mako! How long has it been old friend?" Wu asked as he brought them over to meet his guests that he was entertaining at the moment.

"Too long, Wu" he replied with a smile after he shook the final hand of the party goers. Wu began regaling a story so Mako took this time to grab a beer and separate himself from the crowd. He nursed the beer to about half it's original amount, to keep up appearances of course, and continued to watch people dance and talk with each other. After a while Bolin found Mako wallowing in his corner and shook his head.

"You are such are party pooper" Bolin said finally drawing Mako's attention away from a few girls who were staring at him.

"I'm not. I'm just enjoying the party the way I like to" he said turning back to the girls and waving at them.

"Well I've been looking for you because I have someone I want to introduce to you" Bolin said with a proud smile plastered on his face. Mako looked back at his brother but before he could he saw the beautiful blue eyes of the girl who he was about to meet. It was her! After all these months of wondering if he would see her again, her she was standing in front of him. Mako stood up immediately almost bumping in to her and outstretched a now sweaty palm. He didn't really know how to say hello to this woman because their last meeting didn't go so well.

"Dark roast, right?" He quipped, laughing internally as he did so but immediately regretted doing so once he had her reaction.. The woman just raised a confused eyebrow in response causing Mako to feel a bit embarrassed that he even made the joke.

"You came into my shop a few months ago." He said trying to recover from his previous blunder. Well it was more like three months but who was counting. They stood in a bit of an awkward silence and he took the time to wipe his hands on his pants.

"You know what that's right. You're the guy who owns that tiny coffee place and decided to insult my friend." She said bringing a finger to her chin, trying to sound as if she forgot the memory but she hadn't. In fact she had been thinking about him and that shop ever since. On queue a dark haired woman beside her outstretched a hand to shake his.

"Asami Sato. Owner and operator of Sato coffee, or should I say 'that sugary shit'" she replied with air quotes. Mako grimaced and rubbed the back of his as it got hot from embarrassment.

"You told her I said that?" Mako asked glancing at the blue eyed girl..

"Where else would she have heard that from?" the blue eyed girl replied with a shrug. Mako narrowed his eyes at her ready to volley back at her. "But to be honest there is some truth to that. Your coffee and pastries were better. Seems like you're going to give Sato coffee a run for their money"

"Thanks" he muttered. Mako wanted to continue to be a bit annoyed that this girl would rat him out like this but he couldn't help smile at the compliment she had just given him.

"By the way, I'm Korra" she said extending a hand, looking into his eyes. She felt her heart skip a beat a bit when he took it in his hand and gave it a firm shake. Bolin's eyes grew wide once he realized he completely forgot to introduce the two.

"That's right! The whole reason I brought them over to you was to introduce you to Korra. Mako, Korra is amazing! She are new starting mid that we just called up from the developmental league. The best part? She's the first woman to ever play on the Republic City squad. Hopefully she help us get to the finals this year." Bolin said with a wide grin as he continued to list off her accomplishments.

Mako every once and a while glanced at Korra as he listened to his brother who talked about the pre-season and replayed the great goals Korra had scored. He slowly felt himself become more amazed at Korra and he wanted to get to know her more.

"Wow, that's incredible" Mako finally said as Bolin soon ran out of breath from his rant.

"Well I think we should be going. Remember Bolin, 7 am tomorrow for practice. Don't be late" Korra instructed Bolin. She looked back at Mako and realized that he never introduced himself nor never really got the chance to. "It's Mako, right?"

"Yes. It doesn't seem like I ever told you that in all this. Seems like Bolin is a huge fan" Mako replied with a smile as he glanced at his brother who was now saying goodbye to Asami.

"He's been a huge help since I got here. He helped me find an apartment and got me settled on the team." Korra replied joining Mako's gaze that was fixed on Bolin.

"Well I hope you stop in again and I'll make sure that your experience is a lot better next time around." he said quickly. Hoped? No, he longed for her to stop in again. He didn't know anything about Korra and now she was leaving again. He couldn't help but looking into her eyes again. His tall stature didn't help with that since every time he looked down he locked eyes with her. At this point, though, he was just happy to know her name.

"Maybe" she said with a smile as Asami joined her.

"I think I'll have to stop in as well and try this world famous coffee Korra bragged so much about." Asami said giving Mako a handshake. With the goodbyes finally worn out Korra and Asami took their leave. The brothers stayed a bit longer enjoying the atmosphere of the party and a bit of networking with some of the local folks who had shown up. Soon he and Bolin decided to leave and welcomed the night air nip at their faces as they stepped outside. As they walked down the street back to Bolin's car Mako tried to save the last remnants of his brief conversation with Korra.

"Korra…" he muttered to himself, almost saying it as if he were exhaling her name. His head was spinning a bit as the alcohol had taken over the sensible part of his brain but he didn't mind. He hadn't had a night like this in a while and knew as soon as his head hit his pillow he wouldn't be able to get it back. Bolin stumbled a bit which meant he wasn't able to drive seeing as he was worse off than him. It seemed that they were going to hoof it home.

"Give me the keys, Bolin" Mako said as he held out his hand. Bolin fumbled around in his pocket for his keys, dropping them on the cement as he pulled them out of his pocket. Mako bent down and quickly grabbed them so that Bolin wouldn't try to fish them from the cement and in doing so face plant on the ground.

The walk was brisk but needed as he felt his buzz wear off by the time he got to his apartment, Bolin's weight now being supported by Mako's frame. Mako looked up at the stars that had allowed themselves to be seen through the thick blanket of clouds that covered the night sky. Maybe he would get the chance to see Korra again, hopefully on a night as beautiful as this.

 **/~~~~~~\**

The mid-day sun beat relentlessly down on the pitch creating an extremely muggy and thick humidity down on the field. Korra booted the soccer ball 40 yards as it curled itself into the back of the net continuing to the next one and repeated the process. She and Bolin had gotten a late start due to Bolin sleeping through his first five alarmes. The only reason he had finally showed up was because Mako kicked him out of his apartment once he couldn't take the blaring alarm noise anymore. It was around 2 pm and her body was dripping with sweat which caused her to strip down to her soccer shorts and her sports bra.

"Korra are we almost done?" Bolin whined as he got up after he had dove to make the save.

"No Bolin. This is what you get for sleeping in when you promised to be out here earlier. You aren't the only one hating this" she barked as she flung another ball into the top left corner of the net. Every muscle in her body contracted and released as she started to feel the effects of fatigue set in. She finished up beating the remaining soccer balls left in the row that she had constructed. She wanted to hit the ground running in her first game next week. She had come off the bench in for all the preseason games but now she was going to start. She wanted to show the team that she was worth the wait.

She thought back to the previous night as she booted the last one and how she wanted to have stayed longer to talk with Mako. She didn't know much about him other than owning the coffee shop and having extremely piercing amber eyes. He had a mystery to him, something that had peaked her interest when she first walked into the shop. Her thoughts snapped back to the self-constructed practice that they were still in the middle of and watched as the last soccer ball rocketed around in the seats behind the net. She missed?

"Put the guns away, Korra" Bolin laughed as he turned back to look at a puzzled Korra. She never missed. She grabbed a spare ball, tossed it in the same spot, and unloaded on it causing it to whiz past a diving Bolin.

"There we go" she muttered to herself as she saw the ball fly to the back of the net. How could she let herself lose focus so easily like that? She shook her head as she ran over and grabbed a few bottles of water and joined Bolin who still hadn't gotten up from the ground that he landed on. She tossed a bottle of water on his stomach and it harmlessly bounced off. She saw that his eyes were closed and his arms flopped out at 90 degree angles to his body.

"Come on. It wasn't that bad Bo." Korra said sitting down next to the goal post.

"Yes...it was" he said in between breathes, his eyes still shut as he tried to slow his heart rate down. He hadn't practiced this hard in ages and maybe that was a bad thing. He was either out of shape or Korra was just that insanely good that she was beginning to find flaws in his keeping.

She laughed in reply as she poured one of the bottles of water on her head and allowed the cool liquid to provide a bit of relief on her scalding body.

"So what's the story on your brother?" she asked. She figured this would be as good a time as ever to find out more about him.

"What do you mean?" Bolin asked as his eyes opened, bringing the cloudless sky into view. He was always hesitant to talk about Mako to other people. It wasn't that he hated his brother but Mako was….complicated.

"Well I barely know him. I've been his shop once and had a 5 minute conversation with him. If I'm going to see more of him (she hoped) then I want some back story. He doesn't seem like much of a talker" Korra replied as she closed her eyes to take a drink of the refreshing water.

"He isn't" Bolin replied from his back "he's a bit complicated, Korra. Once our parents died a few years ago, he changed. Not in a bad way but just in a different way. He felt like he let our family down when he left to go to Ba-Sing Se. He had a falling out with them and said that he wasn't coming back. They wanted him to run the business but he wanted to be a cop instead. They didn't like that and pulled his funding for university so he left and became a cop out there." Bolin started to say.

"Wait a minute. Was he the same Mako that caught that murderer from that cold case?" she asked interrupting him. She remembered hearing about a young detective solving a decade old case. It was all over the news but he had declined interviews and was a mystery to the rest of the world.

"The one in the same. He was 19 at the time so that's why it got all that media attention. I thought it was awesome but he hated it. He isn't a limelight kind of guy." Bolin said finally sitting up. He let out a hiss of pain as his body didn't want him to move out of the position.

"So why did he come back?" she asked as she started to fidget with the soccer ball. For some reason she felt this might be a tough thing for Bolin to talk about.

"I'll let him tell you that" Bolin said with a grin. He couldn't give his brother's life story away. That wouldn't be fair to Mako.

"Bo" Korra coaxed with a pouty lip protruding from her face.

"My lips are sealed on that one. Sorry I'm not sorry Korra" he said getting up and stretching his arms out. "Ready to go again?"

Korra had a confused look paint her face. "I thought you were ready to be done?"

"Not yet. I still got some gas in the tank. You're starting to expose flaws that I didn't know I had. I gotta work on these before our next game" he said as he started to send the balls that had collected in the back of the net out to where Korra had been.

She shrugged her shoulders and complied with Bolin's request. If Bolin wasn't going to divulge any more information to her she might as well make use of his keeping skills. This just meant that she had to go see Mako again, something that she couldn't help but feel excited about.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:** So this is my submission for the Makorra Summer Project over on Tumblr. It is really long so I split it into three chapters on this site. Make sure to read all of the amazing works on their too.

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Mako leaned on the counter, eyes fixed on some magazine that laid sprawled open below him but his ears and focus were fixated on the chatter that came through the speakers that dotted the upper corners of the shop. It was 'Game 'Night at the coffee shop and the turnout was great. 'Game Night' was something that had turned into a cult following this season. It started at the beginning of the season and it was still going strong midway through.

He had mulled over the idea of purchase a few televisions so that people could sit and watch but he loved the effect that listening through the radio had when it came to soccer so he couldn't bring himself to buy them. Listening to the radio allowed the mind to paint the picture of how you interpret the events. It also allowed people to talk amongst themselves and listen as well, T.V.s just created a distraction.

" _Korra streak up the left side of the pitch with the defender nipping at her heels. She launches a cross in the box but it is well over the head of Wong"_ the announcer yelled through the speakers. A collective groan echoes from the fans who had stopped in to enjoy the discounted drinks and food offered by the shop on 'Game Night'.

Republic City was down 2-0 and they were playing poorly. Korra had been playing especially bad. Her tackles had been sloppy which netted her a yellow card and she had a handful of giveaways, one which lead to a break and Ba-Sing Se's first goal. Something was clearly bothering her all night and it wasn't the relentless defense of the Badger Moles. Rumors had been going around about her personal life in the news and media that she and Asami Sato were going through some issues, something they both vehemently denied.

Mako had the pleasure of seeing Korra again over the past couple months when she stopped in a few dozen times here and there to pick up some coffee. Korra was from the Southern Water Tribe and moved to Republic City when she was younger so that she could play on the various youth teams in the city. Once she turned 18 her parents left for the Water Tribe, essentially leaving Korra by herself. She had said that it was a bit of a change but she adjusted to it and apparently she met Asami in the process.

Needless to say he found out quickly that Korra and Asami were some sort of item but not necessarily exclusive but nonetheless it deflated him. The two had been on and off for a couple years and no matter how hard Korra had tried, she couldn't shake the hold Asami had over her. Mako read through that excuse easily. Asami was the only person who had cared for Korra so it seemed like Korra thought she owed something to her.

" _Korra takes a pass from Wong and lets it fly from about 30 meters. Oh and it's a mile wide. I gotta tell ya, Zang, she couldn't hit the broad side of an airship if it crashed in front of her"_ the announcer said to his partner.

"Keep your head in the game, Korra" Mako said as he shook his head as he flipped through the final page of the magazine.

Mako could imagine the sight on the field. Korra had a temper that he had seen once when the local sports station showed a replay on television one night. She sent in a perfect cross into the box and her teammate missed it completely. Korra was seen yelling at her teammate as she ran back up down the field which didn't seem to go over well. The same scenario was probably happening again tonight.

Within the hour the final whistle sounded and the announcers begrudgingly read the final score, 3-0 in favor of the Badger Moles. Mako changed the station to something more lively as a few people started to complain about the recent loss. He wanted to avoid the negative connotation the loss would bring and would rather have his patrons happy to end the night. A few patrons littered the shop a few hours later as they enjoyed the ambiance of the late night shop and music. He closed the shop around 7 pm most days but on 'Game Night' he stayed open till about midnight, well after the game was over.

"I'm going to start closing up folks. Any last orders?" he asked from behind the counter. There were a few refills but that was about it. Soon everyone ushered themselves out into the night leaving Mako as the only one left. He drew the shade down and finished closing up making sure to switch off the small neon sign that he had left on occasionally due to his own forgetfulness. He closed front door firmly behind him, locked the deadbolt, and pulled out his keys from the lock.

"You gonna be a creep or are you going to say 'Hi'"? He said as he turned around to see Korra standing under the streetlamp nearest to the building. She came out onto the dimly lit sidewalk where she had been waiting for him to finish up his work. He took in her figure and it blew him away. She was wearing a pair of shorts which showed off her toned legs and a crop top with that hung low on her right shoulder blade exposing her sports bra strap. Her hair was put into a low side ponytail which rested on her right shoulder. She was breathtaking but what else was new to him. She took his breath away when he had first seen her all those months ago.

"If I didn't know any better I'd say you could be a great cop" she quipped with a small smile. He rolled his eyes at her joke knowing full well she was poking fun at his previous employment which he had found out had been told to Korra when Bolin decided to open up to her a few months ago.

"Maybe I'll give a try someday. I think I'd make my first case finding out where the hell your game went tonight" he shot back as he came up to her. She scowled at him clearly showing that he had hit a nerve "Sorry maybe that was too soon"

"If I wanted advice on what happened tonight I'd just ask every fairweather fan out there that has given me shit tonight" she said a bit annoyed that this was the first thing he brought up.

"Well what did you come here for? It clearly wasn't for my jokes" he replied trying to lighten the mood. He appreciated that she showed up like this randomly, knowing that he was maybe becoming more to her than an acquaintance.

"I don't know. I just can't talk with Asami right now and Bolin isn't any help. I figured I could just come and be myself around you" she admitted as they started to walk down the sidewalk, their destination unknown.

"Well I'd be happy to help with that. Are you hungry?" he asked.

"I could eat." she replied as she kicked a rock that clanked off the light post a few feet ahead of her.

"Then I know just the place" he said with the perfect restaurant in mind.

 **/~~~~~~\**

They soon came upon a dimly lit diner in the middle of the undesirable part of Republic City. Its sign was intermittently lit but she could make out the words 'Narook's Noodles'. Korra looked around at her surroundings soon questioning Mako's judgment immediately.

"This doesn't look very safe" she said making her inner thoughts known to him.

"We'll be fine. I know these streets better than anyone." Mako said as he grabbed her wrist and pulled her along behind him. They walked through the doors and she soon saw that it was more than the outer facade of the building made it appear. It was a cozy little restaurant with various booths that lined the walls with what looked like curtains that you could pull shut to give you some privacy. Even though it was late the restaurant still seemed to keep busy. The hostess immediately smiled when she saw Mako enter.

"Mako! It's been a while. Same spot as usual?" the chipper woman asked as she grabbed two menus not waiting for Mako to answer as she started to walk towards a back booth.

"Come here often?" Korra asked she slid into the leather bench opposite Mako and thanked the hostess with a nod a she handed her a menu.

"You could say that" he replied as he popped opened the menu pretending he was looking to see what he would order. He had been here so many times he wouldn't be surprised if the waitress already knew his order.

"They have Water Tribe food?" she asked a bit surprised to see that on the menu. Her country's food was a bit basic due to the limited amount of food options in the frigid tundra of the south so it wasn't necessarily sought after anywhere else in world. She had tried other places that claimed that they had great Southern Water tribe food but it was all terrible.

"The best in the city. In fact it could probably rival your mom's cooking." he guessed as his eyes scanned the menu. The waitress came over and took their drink orders, promising to be back in a minute to take their food orders. They sat in silence while Korra finished up deciding what she wanted to get, her eyes every so often glancing up to look at Mako. This was one of the most thoughtful things she could think of. She was taken aback a bit once she realized that there was a reason he had chosen this place and that reason was Korra. Soon the waitress returned with glasses of water and jotted down their orders before leaving to the kitchen to place them.

"Can I ask you a question?" Korra prodded figuring now was as better time as ever to ask a bit more about Mako. The times that she had gone into the shop hadn't provided the best opportunity to ask the questions that she had wanted.

"Sure" Mako said as he took a sip from his water.

"Why'd you come back to the city? I mean you had a great gig in Ba-Sing Se and made a name for yourself." Korra asked quickly. She wanted to get the full question out before he had a chance to stop her with his patented glare that could stop anyone in their tracks.

"How long have you been waiting for that one?" Mako asked with a smirk. He knew this would come up sooner or later after he had found out that she had asked Bolin to spill that information but he promised not to. She had tried in different ways to coax it out of him in their past meetings but he had always skirted the question.

"A while. If you don't want to answer that's fine. It's just something that's bothered me. I mean it's not like I've thought about it or anythi-"

"It's fine, Korra. I think our relationship has grown to the point that I feel like I can trust you" he said cutting her off. The waitress returned with the steaming bowl of seaweed noodles for Korra and steaming bean buns for Mako. The waitress asked if they needed anything else to which they replied 'No' and thanked her for bringing the food.

"So the reason I came back was because of the death of my parents. When I had left them I was so angry with them. They didn't support me and my dreams of going into the law enforcement. When I cracked that case they didn't even call to congratulate me. Then the night that they died my mom had called me early in the morning but I let it go to voicemail. When I had gotten home from the office that is when I found out what happened. Bolin had called me crying and was barely audible."

"The story was that it had been their anniversary and they had gone out to dinner, something they rarely did, and they were struck by a drunk driver. I couldn't believe it and the worst part was I listened to the voicemail they had left me right after Bolin got off the phone with me. They told me they loved me no matter what my decision was, no matter who I became. It was heart wrenching to say the least. It showed that I had been selfish, not trying to work on my relationship with them enough when I left. So I quit my job that night and came back to run the shop and take care of Bolin who was still in school at the time." Mako finished as he stared into Korra's eyes not blinking as he did so.

"But you gave up your dream." Korra said as tears appeared at the corner of her eyes which she quickly wiped away.

"That's what happens when you have to take care of someone. You have to make sacrifices that hurt but it's worth it in the end. I mean look at Bolin and what he has become. He's one of the greatest keepers in the game right now, well maybe not after tonight's game but you get my point." Mako said taking another sip of water to quench his dry mouth. Korra was in shock. She never knew anyone who would drop what they have to make sure someone else could have what they wanted. But she was starting to realize that Mako wasn't just anyone. He was special. The two ate in silence for a while as Korra let the story of Mako sink in. No wonder Bolin didn't want to tell that part of Mako's story.

Korra finished a bowl of the seaweed noodles and was in love. This cooking was just like home and she wanted more. She wouldn't stop talking about it as she gobbled down a second bowl which had Mako laughing. They chatted here and there as she started her third bowl while Mako enjoyed some green mint tea to help settle his stomach.

"Told you it was good" he quipped as he brought the cup to his mouth and took a sip.

"You're alwa- righ-" she said as she shoveled more of the dark green noodles into her mouth. She saw Mako looking at her as she ate and soon she became self-conscious that she scarfing down the food but she was starving. After she was done she sat back and allowed her stomach to digest the devoured food.

"Thank you for this" she said closing her eyes as she relaxed. Mako motioned to the waitress to bring another cup for the tea so that Korra could have some. She wrapped her fingers around the edges of the cup and took a sip.

"So what happened in the game today?" Mako asked after another sip. Korra groaned and let out a loud sigh.

"I told you I don't want to talk about it. It was just a fluke, can't win them all I guess" she sighed.

"Korra you're an amazing player. There is something you're not telling me" Mako said matter of factly as he read right through her smokescreen. She hated when he did this. Damn him and his intuition.

"It's just...Asami has been a handful lately" Korra admitted. So the reports by the media were true, score one for them.

"I'm sure you two will work it out" Mako said halfheartedly. As long as the relationship between he and Korra didn't change he really didn't care. He wasn't a big fan of Miss Sato and her business practices of bullying small shops out of business. Korra shrugged and slowly moved the cup in a circle with her fingers.

"I think I need a break to just focus on soccer. We're two games out of first and I don't want to be a wild card team who gets in with the skin of their teeth." she said as she stared at the warm liquid in the cup.

"Then do it. If you're not focused on your game and yourself then how can you handle another person?" he said bluntly. The words hurt a bit but she knew there was some truth to them. With her mind solely focused on soccer she couldn't give Asami the attention she needed and that was becoming clear.

"Come on I'll walk you home" Mako said as he motioned for the check causing the waitress to hustle over to them and presented Mako with the bill. He went up and paid, and while Korra waited at the register with Mako she saw a small picture behind the counter. It was similar to the one in Mako's shop. It had his parents and it seemed like the shop owners with a young Mako smiling in the middle with his arm around Bolin. She smiled to herself as she took in the smiling face of the boys.

They walked out to the brisk night air and Korra, without thinking, slinked her arm through Mako's and leaned on his shoulder. She felt him tense up as she did and muttered a "calm down" to him as they walked through the empty streets to her apartment. Mako enjoyed the feeling of her head on his shoulder as they walked. It was a welcoming feeling that he hadn't felt in a long time. By no means did he read into this but he just let it happen and enjoy the night. The only issue is that he felt himself falling for her. This gesture might not mean anything to her but to him, it was everything.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN:** So this is my submission for the Makorra Summer Project over on Tumblr. It is really long so I split it into three chapters on this site. Make sure to read all of the amazing works on their too.

* * *

The text message read _'Are you busy?'_. He wasn't necessarily busy but instead was face down on his pillow deep asleep since it was two in the morning. She didn't wait for him to respond but instead she followed up with a _'Can you open your door?'_. It seemed she wasn't going to take NO for an answer or any answer for that matter. He tossed on a t-shirt and shorts and walked to open the front door for her.

He saw her through the plate glass window of the complex's front door as sad as a puppy. He didn't know how long she had been standing there but she was drenched and wet down to her socks due to the downpour that was happening outside behind her. He ushered her inside and up the two flights to his small apartment. They didn't say much as he tossed her a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants that had been washed the previous morning. She quickly changed and sat on his bed clutching a pillow as she sat on the couch.

Normally, her fights with Asami weren't this bad but this time it just boiled over. Asami blamed her for hanging out with Mako too much. Korra thought Asami was being foolish, she was never unfaithful to her but as Korra slowly thought about it, she had talked about Mako all the time. She stayed up late texting him and called him when she was away on long road trips with the team, longing to hear his voice. She hadn't realized it till Asami pointed it out to her. It was something that had been waiting to happen. But when she sat on Mako's bed that evening she just told him that she and Asami had grown apart and the season was her focus, that she just needed to focus on bringing the city a championship and then she could focus on Asami.

Mako didn't say a word and just listened as Korra let it all out, the frustration of how this had affected her play and how she had blamed herself too much. He saw the tears stream down her face as the agony of heartbreak started to take it's hold unforgiven hold. Asami was all she had known for the past 4 years, the two had been through everything and now they were over. He wanted her and say 'I know how you feel' but those would just be empty words. Mako never had a relationship or cared for one. Bolin was his main focus and even though he did have the occasional fling it never amounted to anything. So he just let her cry. For the first time in his life, probably since his parents death, he felt helpless. He didn't know how to fix what was unfolding in front of him.

Soon the crying stopped and Korra had fallen asleep, wrapped in the blankets that he had been so comfortably wrapped in 2 hours prior, dreaming about whatever had been in his mind. Now he was hunkered down on the lumpy couch, one leg draped over the back of it and the other hanging over the side with his toes just grazing the floor. He stared at her, watching the blankets move up and down as her breathing was finally under control. He tried to keep his eyes open to make sure he was available if she needed but the depths of sleep soon took its hold.

When he had awoke a few hours later he felt a body moving simultaneously with his. Once the morning haze had lifted he saw Korra beneath an arm he had wrapped securely around her. Unknown to him, she had joined him during the night for whatever reason. He took a deep breath and let the smell of her fill his senses. Her hair smelled of lavender and the ocean. It was intoxicating. She stirred and once she realized who she was with she fell on the floor in embarrassment. She quickly grabbed her things and bolted from the apartment without a word.

 **/~~~~~~\**

She stared at her phone that laid on her kitchen table as she paced back and forth debating on whether or not to call him. She had left in such a hurry without a word, she at least owed him an explanation, at least one to herself. She had broken up with Asami about a month after the late night talk she had at Narook's with Mako and if she were honest with herself, that night was when she realized that Mako was the one for her or at least someone she wanted to be with. After that night at the noodle shop she had tried her hardest to see him whenever she could even going out of her way to go to the shop. She would spend hours there talking with him, falling more and more for him. She knew it was the wrong thing to do and she convinced herself that it didn't mean anything. They hadn't kissed or been intimate together so she didn't see the big deal.

Her phone started to vibrate which jolted her from her thoughts. She quickly went over and sent it to voicemail. That was the fifth time Asami had called her probably to reconcile. He hadn't called yet. Why? Was he upset that she had taken it upon herself to find shelter in him? She ran a hand through her hair as she leaned over the phone and closed her eyes. She wanted him more than anything, more than soccer at this point. Soccer! Her eyes shot open as she looked at the clock that hung on the wall over her television. _2:00 pm_. Shit, she was late for warm-ups. She threw her clothes in a bag and ran down the stairs and outside to grab a cab to the pitch.

Mako cursed the day he had ever met that woman. How could she have run out like that without some sort of goodbye? Hell, at least a 'Thank you' for letting her sleep in his comfortable bed. He stared at his phone debating on whether or not to call her. He couldn't get the smell out of his senses. He closed his eyes trying to remember her warm body next to his as they slept together. For the first time in his life he felt safe, content to just lay there for the whole day, maybe forever. It didn't help the full-fledged feelings that he had developed for Korra. Every day he hoped beyond hope that she would come into the shop, her eyes ablaze with a story to tell him. She had stopped in everyday for the past month, whether it was early in the morning or near closing time. In fact, he started to keep late hours on the off chance that she would stop in.

He shook his head and let out a laugh in disbelief, he had changed his business for her. He looked at his phone one more time and a thought hit him. Korra was single. For the first time since he had known her, she was available. Yes, she did just break up with her girlfriend but she had clearly shown interest in him. Right? He picked up his phone and pulled up all the texts they had sent to each other, all the 'Good mornings' and 'Good nights' sent between the two. The ridiculous late night calls that he was all too fond of and the laughs that they shared. He went to her profile, the beautiful blue eyes that made him weak whenever he looked at her peered back at him from the small picture that made its home in his contact info. He clicked the small green phone icon, it was time for him to make his feelings known to her. It was now or never.

 **/~~~~~~\**

"Well look who it is! We thought you forgot about us" Bolin said loudly as Korra ran onto the pitch, hair pulled back in a tight ponytail. She was a mess, emotionally and physically. The lack of sleep made her groggy and there was only so much energy drink that she could consume before her kidneys rejected her.

"Not now Bo" she said sharply as she joined him while he stretched. She tried to focus as her calves and hamstrings stretched themselves out but there were two things she knew would happen. One, Asami was going to show up and confront her at the pitch tonight because she would want answers to why she wasn't answering her phone. Two, she had to stop playing this game with Mako. She had fallen for him and she wanted to be with him. She had to tell him and let him make the decision.

"Wait a minute, I know that shirt" Bolin said, his eyes wide as he took in her appearance.

"Bo" Korra said, realizing that he recognized Mako's shirt that she was still wearing. In her frantic leaving this morning to get to practice on time, she had forgotten her warmups and only grabbed her jersey. This meant that she needed to warm up in his baggy shirt and sweatpants. Her coach already had given her a hard time about it when she was in the locker room so she didn't want to get it from Bolin as well.

She looked over at Bolin who had a giant smile on his face and his eyes squinting at her.

"You spent the night at Mako's last night" he said with a bit of glee in his voice.

"Asami and I had a big fight. I went over to talk it out with Mako and it was raining so this is what I changed into" Korra said as she took and stretched her arms over her head.

"You spent the night at Mako's last night" he replied again with the same inflection in his voice, his smile getting bigger.

"Bolin, it was nothing more than that" she lied. Of course it was more in that. She made herself vulnerable without thinking any of it through.

"Korra!" a voice yelled out near the entrance of the pitch. She turned around to see Mako running out on the field to her. Her teammates looked on as this newcomer interrupted their pre-game workouts. He finally came up to her panting and resting his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath.

"You OK?" she asked panting him on the back, a bit confused as to why he showed up.

"Sure. I just ran three miles and I'm finding out that I need to start working out again" he said standing up.

"Why are you here? What about the shop?" she asked, internally thrilled that she got to see him again but also nervous to hear what he would say about the previous night.

"I called your phone...and...my shirt" he said motioning to her current outfit. This caused her to shift onto one leg and put a hand on her hip, while glaring a bit at him. He interrupted their practice because she kept his clothes.

"I'll return them to you, it's not like I don't know where you live" she said sharply. Her head was a mess and this was the first game of the tournament she didn't need this extra stress right now "Mako, I have a game in a few hours and I need to focus. Can we talk later?"

"No, I need to talk now. I can't let you get away from me, not after last night. Korra, when I saw you crying and unable to help you I couldn't handle it. And when I woke up to you in my arms it was the greatest feeling I ever had. Yes, even better than when I solved that case" he said with a smile. Korra felt her face grow flush. Bolin saw what was happening and shooed the team away to give them some privacy.

"I can't give you everything Asami could but I can give you all the happiness in the world. I just...I want you Korra. I wan-" he tried to say but was cut off as Korra lips silenced his as she pulled him towards her. He closed his eyes as he felt a wave of bliss overtake him. She put her fingers through his unkept hair and he pulled her close as he wrapped an arm around her waist. She didn't know how much time was passing but what she did know is that this was all she ever wanted.

Her teammates let out whistles and cheers as they stood there embracing each other. They broke their kiss and rested their foreheads together.

"You're all I've ever wanted to" she whispered to him as she closed her eyes, allowing herself to be in the moment. She sighed in happiness as he held her close and lifted her chin up to meet his lips again. He tasted like the coffee that she had fallen in love with when she first had met him. She never thought it would had led to this.


End file.
